Something New In CNX

[sqwakvfr]

I was walking by on the west side fo the moat just south of Tae Pae gate and saw this.

This will mean nothing for many but if you grew up in CA it brings back some good memories.  I will visit when it opens on July 29.  BKK has several Taco Bell locations and now CNX has one too. 

[SamSanuk]

Curious to see the menu and prices. 

[novacova]

1 hour ago, sqwakvfr said:

Taco Bell locations and now CNX has one too. 

Good grief, horrendous dining and just what the city needs, competition with tuks gassing up the city with their fart cans.

[ricklev]

I was very much anticipating the bean and cheese burrito of my youth when Taco Bell opened in Bangkok but, alas, Taco Bell Thailand, with their marketing wisdom, decided that beans would not be sold in any form at any Taco Bell in Thailand. It's a damn shame is what it is.  

[brommers]

Barf.

[digbeth]

13 hours ago, ricklev said:

I was very much anticipating the bean and cheese burrito of my youth when Taco Bell opened in Bangkok but, alas, Taco Bell Thailand, with their marketing wisdom, decided that beans would not be sold in any form at any Taco Bell in Thailand. It's a damn shame is what it is.  

They didn't even have beef for a while when they firs opened in Bangkok

[jmd8800]

I'll stick with Miguel's

[ricklev]

26 minutes ago, digbeth said:

They didn't even have beef for a while when they firs opened in Bangkok

I happened to be walking past the opening of the first Taco Bell in Bangkok at The Mercury Ville and I noticed a young foreign woman greeting customers.  (There was a very long line of mostly young Thais waiting to get in and order.)  I asked her about the decision only to offer chicken and pork and she (from the USA) told me with absolute confidence that Thai people don't eat beef. 

[Dcheech]

6 minutes ago, jmd8800 said:

I'll stick with Miguel's

Miguels changed the portions, or the cook, or the recipes for a couple dishes during wuhan lockdown. Not sure exactly what happend but after a decade plus of going there, I do not, anymore.  I'll give Taco Bell a shake. Work it in with my Peera Pharmacy trip. 

[Dcheech]

7 minutes ago, ricklev said:

she (from the USA) told me with absolute confidence that Thai people don't eat beef. 

My wife will upchuck if she eats beef. An involuntary response. I know a number of Thais who react to beef that way. Sounds like a heads up marketing move. They can always bring in beef if & when the demand is there, making sure it is clearly labeled. 

 

[Celsius]

16 hours ago, sqwakvfr said:

This will mean nothing for many

 

It is really nothing to look forward to. It tastes very BAD, oversalted with the usual weird choices of Thai ingredients.

 

Sunrise Tacos is fine dining compared to this garbage.

 

And I am not saying this because I like to glorify Thai food. I prefer Western, but this is just bad. Think Thai Domino's Pizza.

 

 

[digbeth]

33 minutes ago, ricklev said:

I happened to be walking past the opening of the first Taco Bell in Bangkok at The Mercury Ville and I noticed a young foreign woman greeting customers.  (There was a very long line of mostly young Thais waiting to get in and order.)  I asked her about the decision only to offer chicken and pork and she (from the USA) told me with absolute confidence that Thai people don't eat beef. 

 

Some Thai-Chinese really don't 

it used to be a thing to be able to tell how much in  the boonies you are when you order a burger at McDonald's and they have to ask to confirm if you really want beef or pork, don't happen in downtown Bangkok, but out in the suburbs definitely, and never seen it asked in the past 10 years, so whomever advised Taco Bell on the opening was going by some very old playbook 

[digbeth]

31 minutes ago, Dcheech said:

My wife will upchuck if she eats beef. An involuntary response. I know a number of Thais who react to beef that way. Sounds like a heads up marketing move. They can always bring in beef if & when the demand is there, making sure it is clearly labeled. 

 

They do have beef now, but it's extra charge to go beef 

I know most of the beef in most corporate burger place are imported, thai beef are too variable in quality and price to use consistently, so they probably can't make the cost work 

[JimTripper]

I had a McDonald's in Bangkok and it was USA quality. Fries were the same. Must have the supply chain and cooking methods down pat perfect, as one would expect.

 

I was glad the Thai's could not screw with it with some weird sauce or error.

[Tropicalevo]

59 minutes ago, ricklev said:

I happened to be walking past the opening of the first Taco Bell in Bangkok at The Mercury Ville and I noticed a young foreign woman greeting customers.  (There was a very long line of mostly young Thais waiting to get in and order.)  I asked her about the decision only to offer chicken and pork and she (from the USA) told me with absolute confidence that Thai people don't eat beef. 

Most Thais do not eat beef.

Reminds them of the pet buffalo at home - akin to us eating dogs.

Also, pork and chicken are much cheaper.

None of the Thais that I know here on the island eat beef, and it is only in latter years that the Thai supermarkets have started selling it.

20+ years ago, we could not find beef anywhere on the island.

I would buy it when I did a major shop up in Bangkok.

[digbeth]

1 hour ago, Tropicalevo said:

Most Thais do not eat beef.

Reminds them of the pet buffalo at home - akin to us eating dogs.

Also, pork and chicken are much cheaper.

None of the Thais that I know here on the island eat beef, and it is only in latter years that the Thai supermarkets have started selling it.

20+ years ago, we could not find beef anywhere on the island.

I would buy it when I did a major shop up in Bangkok.

 

Here in Chiangmai buffalo is actually a delicacy 

[sqwakvfr]

3 hours ago, Celsius said:

 

It is really nothing to look forward to. It tastes very BAD, oversalted with the usual weird choices of Thai ingredients.

 

Sunrise Tacos is fine dining compared to this garbage.

 

And I am not saying this because I like to glorify Thai food. I prefer Western, but this is just bad. Think Thai Domino's Pizza.

 

 

Taco Bell has never been known for good and certainly never great food.  It has always been cheap and convenient. I thought it was unique that Taco Bell actually decided to open a location in Chiang Mai.  International food options in CNX are rather lacking. For me eating at Taco Bell outside of the US is more nostalgia than a good place to eat. Also, I was back in So Cal in January and Taco Bell was one of few places where lunch was under $10.  The other place was In N Out.  Now if In N Out ever popped up in LOS the I would get excited.  Of course this will never happen. 

 

I have been a long time customer of La Casita in CNX.  it has great Mexican food. 

[Crossy]

 

 

 

[sqwakvfr]

Visited the location yesterday.  

The good and bad

1. Chicken burrito was good but the chips were awful. The chips tasted like fried cardboard.

2. The fountain drinks were a good idea.  Order a small drink and get refils.  This is my favorite way to get drinks at a fast food place. 

3. Chicken burrito,dry chips and a drink was 219 Baht.  A little over $6 was good value. 

4. The place was busy with dine in, to go orders and of course Grab drivers. Business looked pretty good.

5.  When I said "you quiero Tack Bell". none of the employees understood what I was saying.  For old people like myself Taco Bell in the US had a great ad campaign back in the 1970's where a talking chihuahua says the classic phrase "yo quiero Taco Bell".  I will never forget these commercials.  

6. Another example of "Amazaing Thailand" is the fact this location had twice the number of employees that a typical  US location would have but the service was twice as slow. TIT. Love it just the way it is or leave it. 

7. I will be back mostly for nostalgic reasons.  For a few minutes I thought I was eating at a Taco Bell in my hometown.  Also, no Chinese so it was not very noisy. I guess Taco Bell has not penetrated the The Great Wall. 

[ricklev]

On 7/27/2024 at 12:38 PM, sqwakvfr said:

Taco Bell has never been known for good and certainly never great food.  It has always been cheap and convenient. I thought it was unique that Taco Bell actually decided to open a location in Chiang Mai.  International food options in CNX are rather lacking. For me eating at Taco Bell outside of the US is more nostalgia than a good place to eat. Also, I was back in So Cal in January and Taco Bell was one of few places where lunch was under $10.  The other place was In N Out.  Now if In N Out ever popped up in LOS the I would get excited.  Of course this will never happen. 

 

I have been a long time customer of La Casita in CNX.  it has great Mexican food. 

+1 for La Casita  -  But I have only ever had the tofu chorizo burrito.  It was damn tasty along with all the sides and condiments. 

 

In and Out has actually done a couple of pop ups in Bangkok in the last few years.  And Shake Shack is open in Central World.  Pricey though.  The veggie mushroom burger and fries was 500 baht or so.

[sqwakvfr]

7 minutes ago, ricklev said:

+1 for La Casita  -  But I have only ever had the tofu chorizo burrito.  It was damn tasty along with all the sides and condiments. 

 

In and Out has actually done a couple of pop ups in Bangkok in the last few years.  And Shake Shack is open in Central World.  Pricey though.  The veggie mushroom burger and fries was 500 baht or so.

Been to Shake Shack in BKK (both locations and the second one is in Emispher) 4 times.  For some reason In N Out feels  the need to tease people in Asia.  They have had several pop ups in Seoul as well. I would say to In N Out President Lindsey Snyder "expand internationally and stop teasing us in Asia and SE Asia". 

Also, I would agree with you on La Casita.   Taco Bell is nostalgia but La Casita is for really good Mexican.

[ricklev]

9 minutes ago, sqwakvfr said:

Been to Shake Shack in BKK (both locations and the second one is in Emispher) 4 times.  For some reason In N Out feels  the need to tease people in Asia.  They have had several pop ups in Seoul as well. I would say to In N Out President Lindsey Snyder "expand internationally and stop teasing us in Asia and SE Asia". 

Also, I would agree with you on La Casita.   Taco Bell is nostalgia but La Casita is for really good Mexican.

Long John Silvers has opened at Megabangna in Bangkok.  That is going to some childhood nostalgia food for me.  I remember going to Wendys in the basement of MBK in 1997  or so.  Didn't last too long. 

[sqwakvfr]

12 minutes ago, ricklev said:

Long John Silvers has opened at Megabangna in Bangkok.  That is going to some childhood nostalgia food for me.  I remember going to Wendys in the basement of MBK in 1997  or so.  Didn't last too long. 

I did see a Red Lobster inside of Emipshere in BKK.  It was almost empty at dinner time.  I grew up CA so Carl's Jr is place I used to go.  Did see a Carls in Singapore but could not find the one in BKK.  

[ricklev]

44 minutes ago, sqwakvfr said:

I did see a Red Lobster inside of Emipshere in BKK.  It was almost empty at dinner time.  I grew up CA so Carl's Jr is place I used to go.  Did see a Carls in Singapore but could not find the one in BKK.  

Carl's Jr did not survive covid and they closed all their restaurants in Thailand in 2022.  I don't think they ever found a market among Thai people.

 

However, Taco Bell in Bangkok seems to be a hit with young Thais. When I walk past their shop in Paragon it is 90% Thais and Chinese tourists eating there. They have even opened a Taco Bell in Central Pinklao which gets almost no expats or foreign tourists. 

 

 

[Metapod]

On 8/2/2024 at 6:14 PM, sqwakvfr said:

Been to Shake Shack in BKK (both locations and the second one is in Emispher) 4 times.  For some reason In N Out feels  the need to tease people in Asia.  They have had several pop ups in Seoul as well. I would say to In N Out President Lindsey Snyder "expand internationally and stop teasing us in Asia and SE Asia". 

Also, I would agree with you on La Casita.   Taco Bell is nostalgia but La Casita is for really good Mexican.